The present disclosure relates to compositions, systems, and methods for treating subterranean formations.
Certain low permeability or “tight” formations, such as shale, tight gas, clay, and coal bed formations, hydraulic fracturing stimulation is often used to more effectively produce fluids such as oil and gas from the formation. A hydraulic fracturing stimulation in shale or other similar formation not only forms primary fractures in the near field around the well bore, but also forms induced, dendritic fractures (sometimes referred to as “microfractures”) in the far field regions extending from the primary fractures. These induced, dendritic fractures are generally formed at the tip and edges of the primary fractures, and extend outwardly in a branching tree like manner from the primary fractures. Because these secondary, dendritic fractures can extend transversely to the trajectory of the primary fractures, they reach and link natural fractures both in and adjacent to the trajectory of the primary fractures. As such, they reach a larger portion of the naturally occurring fracture network, and link the natural fractures back to the primary fractures and to the well. Shale, coal and many other low permeability formations, for example, formations having a permeability of approximately 1 millidarcy (mD) or less, are known to fracture in this manner.
In certain treatments, small sized proppants such as micro proppants have been described and/or used to prop open these microfractures in tight formations, among other reasons, to facilitate the flow of fluids through those microfractures and improve the recovery of those fluids from the formation. However, the treatment of portions of subterranean formations comprising microfractures in a manner that does not plug off microfractures or cause screen-outs can prove challenging.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted, such embodiments do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation should be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.